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Page 56
"I know nothing of it," he said.
"But doubtless your friend Lannes does. What a wonderful thing it is to
carry through the heavens the dispatches which may move forward a
million armed men."
"I don't know anything about Lannes' dispatches."
"Nor do I, but I can make a close guess, just as you can. He's surely
hovering over the battle field today, and as I said last night he
certainly has some idea where you are, and sooner or later will come for
you."
John looked up, but again the heavens were bare and clear. Then he
looked down and saw walking near them a heavy, middle-aged, bearded man
to whom all the German officers paid great deference. The man's manner
was haughty and overbearing, and John understood at once that in the
monarchical sense he was a personage.
"Do you know the big fellow there?" he said to Weber. "Have you heard
anyone speak of him?"
"I saw him this morning, and one of the guards told us who he is. That
is Prince Karl of Auersperg. The house of Auersperg is one of the
oldest in Germany, much older than the Emperor's family, the
Hohenzollerns. I don't suppose the world contains any royal blood more
ancient than that of Prince Karl."
"Evidently he feels that it's so. I'm getting used to princes, but our
heavy friend there must be something of a specialist in the princely
line. I should judge from his manner that he is not only the oldest man
on earth, speaking in terms of blood, but the owner of the earth as
well."
"The Auerspergs have an immense pride."
"I can see it, but a lot of pride fell before Paris yesterday, and a lot
more is falling among these hills and forests today. There seems to be a
lot of difference between princes, the Arnheims and the Auerspergs, for
instance."
Then a sudden thought struck John. It had the vaguest sort of basis, but
it came home to him with all the power of conviction.
"I wonder if Prince Karl of Auersperg once owned a magnificent armored
automobile," he said.
Weber looked puzzled, and then his eyes lightened.
"Ah, I know what you mean!" he exclaimed. "The one in which we took that
flight with Carstairs the Englishman and Wharton the American. It
belonged to a prince, without doubt, yes. But no, it couldn't have been
Prince Karl of Auersperg who owned the machine."
"I'm not so sure. I've an intuition that it is he. Besides, he looks
like just the kind of prince from whom I'd like to take his best
automobile, also everything else good that he might happen to have. I
shall feel much disappointed if this proves not to be our prince."
"You Americans are such democrats."
"I don't go so far as to say a man is necessarily bad because of his
high rank, but as I reminded you a little while ago, there are princes
and princes. The ancient house of Auersperg as it walks up and down,
indicating its conviction of its own superiority to everything else on
earth, does not please me."
"The Uhlans are coming back!" exclaimed Weber in tones of excitement.
"And that's von Boehlen at their head! I'd know his figure as far as I
could see it! And they've had a brush, too! Look at the empty saddles
and the wounded men! As sure as we live they've run into the French
cavalry and then they've run out again!"
The Uhlans were returning at a gallop, and the German officers of high
rank were crowding forward to meet them. It was obvious to every one
that they had received a terrible handling, but John knew that von
Boehlen was not a man to come at a panicky gallop. Some powerful motive
must send him so fast.
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